Inno Setup alternative: build a Windows installer online, no script

Inno Setup is excellent. It's free, mature, well documented and produces clean installers that Windows users recognise. If you are looking for an alternative, it's usually for one of three reasons: you don't want to write and maintain an .iss script, you don't have a Windows machine to compile on, or you need the installer today and the learning curve is in the way. This page is an honest comparison, so you can pick the right tool.

What Inno Setup gives you

• A script-driven compiler (ISCC.exe) with a small Pascal-like scripting language for custom logic.
• The classic wizard: welcome, licence, folder, Start Menu folder, tasks, progress, finish.
• Flexible file rules, registry entries, custom pages, run-after-install, and a solid uninstaller.
• A large community and a very long track record.

You write a script such as:

[Setup]
AppName=My App
AppVersion=2.4.0
DefaultDirName={autopf}\My App
OutputBaseFilename=Setup

[Files]
Source: "app\*"; DestDir: "{app}"; Flags: recursesubdirs

[Icons]
Name: "{autoprograms}\My App"; Filename: "{app}\MyApp.exe"

Then compile it, on Windows, with the Inno Setup compiler. Linux and macOS users run the compiler under Wine, which works but adds friction.

When an online builder fits better

ExeTup takes the opposite approach: no script, no compiler, no Windows machine. You upload the app folder, answer the questions an installer needs, and download a Setup.exe built in the cloud. It generates an NSIS installer rather than an Inno one; both are standard, both are recognised by Windows users, and the end result for a typical desktop app is the same: wizard, shortcuts, Program Files or per-user install, uninstaller in Windows Settings.

It fits when:

• the installer should just do the standard thing, well;
• the people building releases are not comfortable with installer scripts;
• builds happen on a Mac, Linux or a locked-down work laptop;
• you release occasionally and don't want a pipeline to maintain for the installer alone.

Inno Setup fits better when you need custom wizard pages, scripted logic during install, registry-heavy setups, or integration with a Windows build server you already run.

Side by side

	Inno Setup	ExeTup
Price	Free	Free first builds, then pay per build, no subscription
How you describe the installer	.iss script	A form
Where it compiles	Windows (Wine elsewhere)	In the cloud, from any browser
Installer engine	Inno Setup	NSIS
Wizard pages	Welcome, licence, folder, Start Menu, tasks, finish	Welcome, licence, folder, progress, finish
Install scope	Per machine or per user	Per machine or per user
Uninstaller in Windows Settings	Yes	Yes
Silent install	/VERYSILENT	/S
Custom pages and scripting	Yes	No
Languages	Many, via language files	15, via NSIS's translations
Code signing	Sign hooks in the script	Sign the downloaded Setup.exe yourself

Moving an Inno Setup project to ExeTup

1. Take the folder your [Files] section points at. That is what you upload, as a zip.
2. AppName, AppVersion, AppPublisher and LicenseFile map to the details form.
3. {autopf} becomes "all users"; {localappdata} becomes "current user".
4. [Icons] entries become the Start Menu and Desktop shortcut options.
5. [Run] with postinstall becomes "launch after install".
6. Custom [Code] sections have no equivalent. If the logic is essential, stay with Inno Setup.

FAQ

Is ExeTup a replacement for Inno Setup?

For the common case, a desktop app that needs the standard wizard, shortcuts and an uninstaller, yes. For installers that need scripted logic or custom pages, Inno Setup remains the better tool.

Does ExeTup produce an Inno Setup installer?

No, it produces an NSIS installer. Both are standard Windows installers; users see a familiar wizard either way. See NSIS installer online.

Can I run Inno Setup on a Mac?

Through Wine, yes, with some setup. ExeTup needs only a browser; see creating a Windows installer on a Mac.

Is the silent switch different?

Inno Setup uses /SILENT and /VERYSILENT; NSIS installers use /S. Both support a custom folder, with /DIR= and /D= respectively.